Subsea 7 can confirm that Brazilian authorities have formally identified one of the bodies found following the recent AF 447 incident as being one of its employees, Graham Gardner.

Mr. Gardner's widow, Joyce Gardner, said, "Although the finality of being told Graham is no longer with us was a shock, I feel relieved and grateful that we are now going to be able to bring Graham home where he belongs. As a family this will allow us to rebuild our lives, which is what Graham would have wanted.

"On behalf of the family I would like to say thank you for all the support we have received from everyone who knew Graham, which has helped us get through this difficult time.

"The authorities have kept us informed every step of the way and we know the rescue teams have done all they possibly can but it has been the uncertainty of not knowing whether Graham's body would be found which has been hardest to deal with.

"I will miss Graham enormously."

Graham is also survived by his mother, Sarah Gardner, and his sisters Iris and Anna.

Mel Fitzgerald, CEO of Subsea 7, said, "Our thoughts remain with Graham's wife Joyce and all his family on hearing this latest news. We hope that finding Graham's body will be a comfort to them all and will help them to come to terms with Graham's untimely death.

"Graham was a well respected and highly regarded employee of Subsea 7 who made a valuable contribution to the company over many years. We will continue to provide support to Joyce and her family."